1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication network system comprising a network made from a communication device such as an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) converter and a network management device that manages the communication devices in this network, and more particularly to improvements in switching control between these devices and in control of display of information relating to faults, structure, and operating status, etc. of the abovementioned communication devices for a network management device when a redundant structure of the abovementioned devices or network management devices, etc. is used to increase fault resistance of the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in the railway management system and highway management system fields, network structures are known whereby multiple communication devices are installed in a distributed manner, information from each of these communication devices is gathered into one management center, and management is performed. With this type of system, because these are systems with a highly public character since they are used for railways and highways, there is also a demand for them to be fault resistant.
FIG. 47 shows one example of a conventional system of this type that took fault resistance into consideration. This system is realized by an ATM ring system that performs communication between a ring network H made from node devices 81H, 82H, 83H, 84H, 85H, and 86H connected by ring transmission line 25H and ring network I made from node devices 81I, 82I, 831, 84I, 85I, and 86I connected by ring transmission line 25I. Using ATM switching technology.
In FIG. 47, 70 is a network management device which manages all nodes within ring networks H and I via Ethernet 10. Also, a local terminal (in the figure, only local terminals 90H and 90I connected respectively to node devices 85H and 85I are shown) is connected to all node devices within ring networks H and I.
With a system that performs communication between ring networks, if a fault occurs in the transmission line between rings, communication between the rings is cut off, so by providing a duplex transmission line with a current use system and a spare system which can be switched, when a fault occurs in the current use transmission line, by switching to connect to the spare system transmission line, redundancy between the ring networks is achieved with a method that continues communication between rings.
With the ring network system shown in FIG. 47, 84H and 84I are between-ring connection node devices for connecting adjacent ring networks, and these are connected by duplex between-ring transmission line 35 which can be switched to either the current use system or a spare system.
For this between-ring transmission line 35, normally, communication between ring networks is performed using the current use system transmission line 351, but when a fault occurs with the current use system transmission line 351, this is detected by facing between-ring connection node devices 84H and 84I, and by switching transmission line 35 to the spare system transmission line 352 and controlling, it is possible to continue communication between the rings.
In this way, with the ring network system shown in FIG. 47, when a fault occurs in the current use system transmission line, by switching to the spare system transmission line and performing control, it is possible to continue communication between rings.
However, with this conventional system, there is the problem that when line duplex switching fails, or when a fault occurs directly with the between-ring connection node devices 84H and 84I that perform line duplex control, not only is it impossible to perform line duplex switching due to the line fault, or due to a fault of between-ring connection node device 84H and 84I, normal communication between rings is not possible.
FIG. 48 shows another example of this type of conventional system. The basic structure of the system shown in FIG. 48 is also an ATM ring network made from multiple ATM ring networks. In particular with this system, as will be described later, from the fact that the arrangement is such that control node devices are placed within the ring network to manage each node device in the network, this is called a centralized control type ATM ring network system.
With the system shown in FIG. 48, one control node device 81J is allocated within a ring network J, and this control node device 81J performs centralized control of all ring node devices 82J through 86J within the ring network J. Similarly, one control node device 81K is allocated within a ring network K, and this control node device 81K performs centralized control of ring node devices 82K through 86K.
For the ring network J and the ring network K, the node device 84K and the node device 84J (84K and 84J correspond to the between-ring connection node devices 84H and 841 of the system shown in FIG. 47) are connected by a transmission line 36.
With an ATM ring network with this kind of structure, as a measure for improving fault resistance, methods such as duplexing of transmission lines are used.
FIG. 49 shows an example of a duplex transmission line. As shown in FIG. 49(a), the ring network J has a duplex structure of the current use system line 251 and the spare system line 252 for the transmission line that connects the control node device 81J and the ring node devices 82 through 86.
For this ring network J, for example, when a fault occurs at the transmission line 25J between the ring node device 84J and the ring node device 85J, as shown in FIG. 49(b), by executing loop back for each of the ring node device 84J and the ring node device 85J (the standby system line 252 is turned back and connected to the current use system line 251), a detour is made around the location where the fault has occurred using the standby system line 252.
As described above, with a centralized control type ATM ring network system, by making duplex transmission lines, even when a fault occurs in a transmission line, the reliability is guaranteed, and even when a fault occurs at the ring node device, it is possible to minimize the effect of the fault by performing loop back with the adjacent ring node device.
However, with centralized control type ATM ring network systems, as a rule, the abovementioned loop back control is implemented under the control of the control node device, and when a fault occurs with a control node device, until the control function is restarted by replacing or repairing the control node device, since it is not possible to perform ring node device control, the ring node device does not operate, causing the problem that all communication is stopped.
However, with the ring network system (FIGS. 47 and 48) described above, a network management device 70 is installed and with this network management device, there is a function that manages the devices to be managed such as the control node devices, ring node devices, and between-ring connection node devices within each ring system.
Here, the network management device performs management of the devices to be managed by methods such as displaying self notification information from each device to be managed based on that information, or based on this display, by controlling to a specified operating state of the applicable devices to be managed by sending the control information.
When we consider this structure, it is extremely important not only to install multiple network management devices for the devices to be managed, but also to perform firm network management in order to increase the fault resistance of the system overall.
FIG. 50 shows a conventional communication network system that realizes the viewpoint discussed here.
This system has a network structure that performs management of all devices to be managed 110L, 111L, 112L, and 113L within ring network L using two network management devices 70A and 70B.
For this system, devices to be managed 110L, 111L, 112L, and 113L within ring network L have a self notification function that notifies both network management devices 70A and 70B via the ring transmission line 20L and the Ethernet 10, when a fault occurs at the concerned device or when that fault is repaired, of the information that shows that state (fault management information).
On the other hand, the network management devices 70A and 70B receive fault management self notification information from the devices to be managed 110L, 111L, 112L, and 113L, and perform management of each device by displaying the contents, etc.
In this way, with the conventional system shown in FIG. 50, devices to be managed 110L, 111L, 112L, and 113L within the ring network L perform self notification to both the network management devices 70A and 70B, which have a redundant structure.
Because of this, compared to when performing network management with a single network management device, there has to be twice as much traffic for network management. This increase in traffic for network management tends to become more marked as the network scale gets larger, so there is the problem of inhibition of original communication such as data transmission between each node device, etc. within the network L.
As shown in FIG. 51, there are also systems of this type of conventional network system with the structure shown in the figure. This system has a network structure such that one network management device 100M manages multiple ATM switching devices 112M, 113M, and 114M via duplex structure ATM switching devices 110M and 111M that have a network connecting function (hereafter referred to as network connection devices).
For this system, as a network connection device, 110M and 111M are given a redundant structure, and these are connected to the network management device 100M via the Ethernet 10. These network connection devices 110M and 111M which have a redundant structure operate with one as the current use system and the other as the spare system.
In FIG. 51, when the network connection device 110M operates as the current use system and the network connection device 111M operates as the spare system, as path information for reaching the ATM ring transmission line 20M within the ring network M, the fact that the next hop is the network connection device 110M is registered to the network management device 100M.
In this state, when switching has occurred for the systems between the redundant structure network connection devices 110M and 111M, as path information for reaching the ATM ring transmission path 20M, it is necessary to change so that the next hop network connection device is 111M.
In such a case, as a protocol for dynamically performing switching operation of path information, RIP (Routing Information Protocol) that decides the optimal path based on the hop count up to the destination (in this case, the ring transmission path 20M) is widely used.
However, for a system structure such as that shown in FIG. 51, when the abovementioned RIP is used, looking from the network management device 100M, the metrics (distance function) for reaching the ATM ring transmission path 20M by the network connection devices 110M and 111M are equivalent, so the state of the next hop (for example, the applicable network connection device 110M when the network connection device 110M has switched from the current use system to the spare system) first registered to the network management device 100M will continue to be valid for some time, so there is the problem that because the next hop change is not immediately reflected, the system switch is also not performed immediately.
However, for the various forms of systems described above, normally the network management device placed within a network obtains various types of information from each communication device subject to management (devices to be managed), and based on this obtained information, has a function that displays the results of management on a display screen.
Here, as information obtained from the device to be managed by the network management device, an example would be information related to a fault in the device to be managed. Generally, information relating to a fault in this device to be managed would be obtained by self notification from each device to be managed, and based on this self notification, the information relating to the fault of each device to be managed would be displayed. Regarding this self notification display, with the network management device, for example, there was a method of displaying as is the self notification characters notified automatically from the device to be managed, With this method, self notification characters are simply listed on the display screen, so there was a tendency for a delay in awareness by the administrator of the occurrence of a fault with a device to be managed.
As a countermeasure for this problem, conventionally, there was a method with which an icon that represents the devices to be managed was prepared, and based on self notification of fault occurrence from each device to be managed, a color that represents the occurrence of that fault would be reflected in the icon of the concerned device to be managed. With this method, each device to be managed is thought of as an icon, and the fault status could also be thought of as a change in color of the applicable icon, so compared to when displaying only the self notification characters, the time until the administrator becomes aware of a fault with a device to be managed can be shortened.
However, regarding this self notification display using this icon, conventionally, a color that represented the occurrence of a fault was reflected in the icon that represented a device to be managed, and a color representing the repair of a fault was not reflected, so significant time passed before the administrator was aware that the fault had been repaired.
Besides this, as information that the network management device obtains from the devices to be managed, there was also information related to the device to be managed structure or the operating status, etc. when this structure is a prerequisite. Regarding the screen display regarding this device to be managed structure and status, conventionally, display relating to the structure using an icon like that described above was performed, or the process ended with display of a simple diagram (such as a square, etc.) representing the substrate on which the device to be managed is mounted.
With this method, the display contents on the display screen of the network management device is completely different from the actual image of the device to be managed, so the administrator could not get an accurate understanding of the structure or status of a device to be managed, which was a problem in terms of the risk of inviting confusion about the maintenance and management tasks.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a system for which ring networks are connected to each other by facing between-ring connection node devices, and for which it is possible to switch between duplex lines with one being a current use system and the other a spare system provided between these between-ring connection node devices (FIG. 47), can maintain normal communication between rings when the line duplex switching fails or when a fault occurs with the between-ring connection node device itself that performs control of the line duplexing, and which further improves fault resistance.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a centralized control type system that centrally manages all node devices within a network by control node devices placed within the ring network (FIG. 48), can maintain communication while controlling the ring node devices even when a fault has occurred with the control node device.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a system for which network management devices have been made redundant and installed for the network (FIG. 50), prevents increased traffic for network management used during self notification from each node device within the network to the abovementioned network management devices, and even if the scale of the network increases, can smoothly execute the original communication within the network (communication other than that for the abovementioned network management).
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a system that has redundant network connection devices placed between a network management device and a network, can immediately select the optimal path for reaching a transmission path within a network via one or the other when a switch is made between systems between the abovementioned redundant network connection devices.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a system that includes a network management device that displays information gathered from each device to be managed within a network and manages each of these devices to be managed, has a network management device that can accurately grasp the occurrence of or repair of a fault in each device to be managed within a network based on the contents of the abovementioned display, and can realize fast handling of maintenance tasks.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that, for a system that includes a network management device that displays information gathered from each device to be managed within a network and manages each of these devices to be managed, has a network management device that can accurately recognize as much as possible the structure and status of the devices to be managed based on the abovementioned display contents, and can perform maintenance and management tasks even more smoothly.
To achieve the abovementioned first object, the invention is characterized by A multiple switching devices being connected on a ring transmission line, this including a first and second ring network that perform communication via the multiple switching devices,
the abovementioned first and second ring networks comprising first and second between-ring connection devices connected by a between-ring transmission line that includes a between-ring connection device facing each other within the other party ring network and a duplex line, the abovementioned duplex line having one be a current use system and the other a spare system, and the connection devices performing line switching control with the other party ring network, and
a control device that performs switching control for operating one of the abovementioned between-ring connection devices as a current use system, and the other as a spare system, and
the invention performing current use communication via the between-ring transmission line that connects the between-ring connection devices that operate as the abovementioned current use system between the abovementioned first and second ring networks, and that has in standby a spare between-ring transmission line that connects the between-ring connection devices that operate as the abovementioned spare system.
The invention is characterized by comprising a means for communication between rings that mutually communicates first control information between facing between-ring connection devices,
a means of communication within a ring that mutually communicates second control information between the abovementioned between-ring connection devices and the abovementioned control devices, and
by the abovementioned between-ring connection device performing the abovementioned line switching control through the abovementioned between-ring communication means, and the abovementioned control device performing the abovementioned system switching control through the abovementioned ring internal communication means.
The control device comprises a survival confirmation means that confirms survival of the between-ring connection device through the abovementioned ring internal communication means between the current use system and the abovementioned between-ring connection device, and when it is not possible to confirm survival of the between ring connection device, sends instructions to shift to the spare system to the abovementioned between-ring connection device of the current use system and sends instructions to shift to the current use system to the abovementioned between ring connection device of the spare system through the abovementioned ring internal communication means.
The invention characterized by between-ring connection device, when operating as a current use system, comprises an operation recognition means that recognizes the operating status of the facing between-ring connection device during operation of a between-ring connection device as the current use system through the abovementioned between-ring communication means, and
an error notification means that notifies the abovementioned control device through the abovementioned ring internal communication means that an error has occurred at the facing between-ring connection device when such an error occurs, and
the abovementioned control device sending to the spare system between-ring connection device instructions to shift to the current use system based on notification from the abovementioned notification from the abovementioned error notification means.
The invention characterized by the between-ring connection device, when operating as a current use system, comprises a monitoring means that monitors the abovementioned line switching control performed between facing between-ring connection devices through the abovementioned between-ring communication means, and
a switching failure notification means that notifies the abovementioned control device that the abovementioned line switching control has failed through the abovementioned ring internal communication means when such a failure has occurred, and
the abovementioned control device sending instructions to shift to the current use system based on the notification of the abovementioned switching failure notification means to the spare system between-ring connection device through the abovementioned ring internal communication means.
The invention characterized by the between-ring connection device, comprises a current use system shift instruction means that, when starting operation as the abovementioned current use system, sends instructions to shift to the current use system through the abovementioned between-ring communication means to the facing between-ring connection device,
a spare system shift instruction means that, when starting operation as the abovementioned spare system, sends instructions to shift to the spare system through the abovementioned between-ring communication means to the facing between-ring connection device, and
a control means that starts the switching operation from the spare system to the current use system or from the current use system to the spare system by receiving from the abovementioned control device or the abovementioned facing between-ring connection device either the abovementioned current use system instructions or the abovementioned spare system instructions.
The ring internal communication means sends and receives the abovementioned first control information using user cells which have information on the open paths in the ring (VPI/VCI values) on a virtual path in the abovementioned ring transmission path, and includes in the abovementioned first control information at least the information including requests to shift to either the current use system or the spare system to the facing between-ring connection device, the current operating status of the concerned between-ring connection device, and the time stamp that is updated with each communication.
The between-ring communication means sends and receives the abovementioned second control information using user cells which have information on the open paths between rings (VPI/VCI values) on a virtual path in the abovementioned between-ring transmission path, and includes in the abovementioned second control information at least the information including requests from the abovementioned control device to shift to either the current use system or the spare system to the abovementioned between-ring connection device, and information on facing between-ring connection device errors from the abovementioned between-ring connection device to the abovementioned control device.
The invention characterized by the control device comprises a priority level maintenance means that maintains the system switch priority level relating to the abovementioned system switching control,
a priority switching control means that performs the abovementioned system switching control when there is a system switching request to the between-ring connection device within the concerned ring network, there is also a system switching request in the control device in the other part ring network, and the system switching priority level of the concerned device is higher than the system switching priority level of the control device in the abovementioned other party ring network.
The switching device, the first and second between-ring connection devices, and the control devices are ATM switching equipment that perform asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching processing.
By installing two between-ring connection node devices each in the first and second ring networks, and installing a control device that performs switching operation of these two between-ring connection node devices as a current use system or a spare system, two sets of between-ring communication means that can maintain communication by switching to a spare line when the current use line is not passable are provided between the first and second ring network, so, for example, when the between-ring transmission line between between-ring connection node devices that face each other and operate as the current use system can not be passed due to some kind of fault, the between-ring connection node devices that face each other and are on standby as the spare system start up as the current use system, and communication is maintained by using the between-ring transmission line between both of these node devices.
Therefore, with the first invention, while it is possible to avoid interruption of communication between ring networks due to a fault of the between-ring connection node device itself, it is also possible to avoid communication interrupt when there is a failure of switching the duplex lines in the between-ring transmission line of the between-ring connection node devices operating as the current use system, so it is always possible to guarantee normal communication between ring networks.
To achieve the abovementioned second object, the invention is characterized by connecting multiple switching devices on a ring transmission line, and having a ring network that performs communication via those multiple switching devices,
installing on the abovementioned ring transmission line first and second control devices that control the abovementioned multiple switching devices,
the abovementioned first control device operating as a current use system control device that actually controls the abovementioned multiple switching devices,
the abovementioned second control device monitoring the abovementioned first control device, and when a fault occurs with that first control device, operating as the standby system control device that performs control of the abovementioned multiple switching devices in place of the first control device.
The second control device performs polling for the abovementioned first control device at specified intervals, and based on whether there is a response from the abovementioned first control device for the polling, monitors whether or not there is a fault in that first control device.
The first control device sends updated management information to the abovementioned second control device for each update of the management information for controlling the abovementioned multiple switching devices, and
the abovementioned second control device keeping as the latest management information the received management information when the abovementioned management information is received.
The second control device starts control of the abovementioned multiple switching devices in place of the abovementioned first control device and also establishes a virtual channel connection for those multiple switching devices.
The second control device establishes the abovementioned virtual channel connection for the abovementioned multiple switching devices and at the same time notifies those multiple switching devices that the control device has been switched.
The first control device and second control device are placed adjacent to each other, and the abovementioned second control device starts control of the abovementioned multiple switching devices in place of the abovementioned first control device, while loop back of the abovementioned ring transmission line is performed on the opposite side of the abovementioned first control device, and when the adjacent device is the abovementioned first control device when the abovementioned notification is received by the abovementioned switching device from the abovementioned second control device, loop back of the abovementioned ring transmission line is performed on the opposite side of this first adjacent device.
The first control device and second control device are placed with at least one switching device between them, and when the adjacent device is the abovementioned first control device when the abovementioned notification is received by the abovementioned switching device from the abovementioned second control device, loop back of the abovementioned ring transmission line is performed on the opposite side of this first adjacent device.
The switching devices, the first control device, and the second control device are ATM switching equipment that perform asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching processing.
The first and second control devices are made redundant and provided on a ring network to control this ring network, and during normal operation, the first control device operates as the current use system and the second control device operates as the standby system, and survival confirmation for the first control device and control information inheritance is performed from the second control device, and when survival is not confirmed for the first control device, the second control device starts operating as the current use system, while at the same time, the system is structured so that the first control device for which survival was not confirmed is cut off from the ring network, so not only when a fault occurs on the transmission line, but also when a fault occurs with the control device, it is possible to communicate on the network, which is an improvement in fault resistance. There is also the advantage that it is not necessary to stop the network when performing maintenance and switching of control devices.
To achieve the abovementioned third object, the invention is characterized by comprising multiple switching devices connected on a transmission line and being composed from a network that performs communication via these multiple switching devices and
a first management device and a second management device that are connected to the abovementioned network via one of the abovementioned switching devices, each of which manages all switching devices within this network,
the abovementioned first and second management devices comprising a self notification destination switching instruction means that issues self notification destination switching instructions to the abovementioned switching devices saying to switch the notification destination of the self notification,
and the abovementioned switching devices comprising a self notification means that performs self notification of the concerned device operating status only to the management device instructed as the self notification destination of the abovementioned first and second management devices, and
a self notification destination switching means that switches the self notification destination according to the abovementioned self notification destination switching instructions issued from the abovementioned first or second management device.
The invention is characterized by the first and second management devices comprising a control means that operates the concerned devices as a current use system or a standby system,
a fault monitoring means that monitors whether there is a fault on another management device operating as the current use system during operation as the spare use system, and
when starting operation as the current use system due to occurrence of a fault with the abovementioned other management device, issuing to all of the abovementioned switching devices self notification destination switching instructions saying to switch the abovementioned self notification destination to the concerned device.
The first and second management devices comprises a means of setting attribute information that indicates when operating as the current use system, and when operating as the current use system, also monitor whether there is a fault on the other management device operating as the current use system as well as the setting status of the abovementioned attribute information, and issue the abovementioned self notification destination switching instructions only when an error occurs in the concerned other management device and when the abovementioned attribute information is set.
The first and second management devices comprise an input means that inputs identification information for the abovementioned switching devices, and when the abovementioned identification information is input, issues self notification destination switching instructions saying to switch the abovementioned self notification destination to the concerned device only to the switching device which has this identification information.
The switching devices comprise an end status monitoring means that monitors whether the abovementioned self notification destination switching ended normally or not, and at least when an error occurs, send to the management device that was the source of the issue of the abovementioned self notification destination switching instructions an error end response that includes the reason for this error.
The first and second management devices comprise an error end reporting means that reports when the abovementioned error end response is received.
The error end notification means is a display control means that displays a screen that displays the name of the switching device for which the error occurred and the reason for the error.
The display control means comprises a function that displays re-execution instruction information for giving instructions to re-execute the self notification switching instructions on the abovementioned display screen, and
the abovementioned self notification destination switching instruction means re-issuing self notification destination switching instructions to the switching device corresponding to the name of the switching device displayed on the abovementioned display screen by the abovementioned re-execution instruction information being selected on the abovementioned display screen.
The switching device which is the device to be managed switches the self notification destination and performs self notification according to self notification destination switching instructions from the network management device, so as a result of the self notification destination switching device always is restricted to one network management device, even when the network management device has a redundant structure, it is possible to avoid using extra traffic for network management, and by allocating this part of traffic to the original communication purpose, it is possible to realize more efficient network operation.
To achieve the abovementioned fourth object, the invention is characterized by having multiple switching devices connected on a transmission line, and being composed from a network that performs communication via these multiple switching device,
a management device that manages all the switching devices within the aforementioned network, and
a first and second network connection device that that is placed on the abovementioned transmission line and that has a function for connecting each of the abovementioned management devices to the abovementioned network,
the abovementioned first and second network connection devices comprising
a path information notification means that notifies path information for reaching the abovementioned transmission line via the concerned device on the abovementioned management device, and
a path information variable setting means that can make variable settings that manages by weighting the abovementioned path information while also making variable settings for the abovementioned weighting,
the abovementioned management device comprising a path selection means that selects a path via the path information notification source that has the smallest weight, having referred to the abovementioned path information weighting notified from the abovementioned first and second network connection devices.
The first and second network connection devices comprise a control means that operates the concerned device as the spare system when the other is the current use system, and when the other is the spare use system, switches the concerned device to the current use system and operates it, where the abovementioned path information variable setting means makes a variable setting of the abovementioned path information weighting during the abovementioned system switching.
The first and second network connection devices comprise a control means that operates the concerned device as the spare system when the other is the current use system, and when the other is the spare use system, switches the concerned device to the current use system and operates it.
The first and second network connection devices, when the concerned device is operating as the current use system, notify path information with a hop count of N, and when the concerned device is operating as the spare system, notify path information with a hop count of N+1, while on the other hand when the concerned device is switched from the current use system to the spare use system, notify path information with the hop count changed from N to N+1, and when the concerned device is switched from the spare system to the current use system, notify path information with the hop count changed from N+1 to Nxe2x88x921.
The management device managing receives path information for each of the abovementioned first and second network connection devices, and when new path information is notified, updates the old information with the contents of the newly notified information.
The first and second network connection devices execute notification of the abovementioned path information regularly at timed intervals.
The first and second network connection devices, after notifying path information for which the hop count has been changed from N+1 to Nxe2x88x921 along with switching of the concerned device from the spare system to the current use system, after a specified time has elapsed, notify path information for which the hop count has been changed from Nxe2x88x921 to N.
Path information notified from the redundant structure first and second network connection devices to the network management devices for selecting a path is weighted, and when there is a switching or the like of the current use system and spare use system between the first and second network connection devices, the system is set to variably control the abovementioned weighting on each network connection device and notify the network management device, so it is possible to immediately reflect the appropriate path information between the first and second network connection devices along with the abovementioned system switching, etc. for the path selection control function of the network management device, and this makes it possible to immediately select the path with the minimum cost for reaching the ring transmission line for the network management device.
To achieve the abovementioned fifth and sixth objects, the invention is characterized by being composed of a network that connects multiple switching devices on a transmission line, and performs communication via these multiple switching devices, and
a management device that manages issues related to special management items of all switching devices within the network, these being connected to the abovementioned network,
the abovementioned switching device comprising a means of processing management to be done that performs substitute management of management information relating to the abovementioned special management items of the concerned device while also transmitting the abovementioned management information using a specified protocol to the abovementioned management device,
the abovementioned management device comprising a management processing means that manages the abovementioned management information obtained by a specified protocol that is substitute managed by the abovementioned means for processing management to be done, and
a display processing means that performs display processing for the display means based on the abovementioned management information managed by the abovementioned management processing means.
The means of processing management is done holding fault management information relating to faults of the concerned device as the abovementioned management information, and when a fault occurs or is repaired for the concerned device, makes self notification to the abovementioned management device the abovementioned fault management information relating to the fault occurrence or repair.
The management processing means obtains fault management information self notified from the abovementioned switching device and correlates this fault management information with a device icon representing the switching device which was the source of sending the self notification and managing this, and the abovementioned display processing means, based on the abovementioned fault management information managed by the abovementioned management processing means, displays the abovementioned device icon that corresponds to the switching device that was the source of sending the self notification in a color that indicates that the concerned fault either occurred or was repaired.
The means for processing management is done holding structure and status management information relates to the structure of the concerned device and the status of the structure as the abovementioned management information, and transmits the abovementioned structure/status management information to the abovementioned management device according to a fetch request from the abovementioned management device.
The management processing means, by issuing the abovementioned fetch request to the abovementioned device to be managed, obtains the abovementioned structure/status management information from the abovementioned means for processing management to be done, and the abovementioned display processing means, based on the obtained abovementioned structure/status management information, draws on the abovementioned display means an actual device image of the same actual structure and status of the concerned switching device with the structure and status of the switching device that was the source of the fetching.
The management control means regularly fetches the abovementioned structure/status management information, and when there is a change in this fetched abovementioned structure/status management information, updates already fetched structure and status management information with those contents, and the abovementioned display processing means, based on the updated abovementioned structure/status management information, updates and displays the image in the display of the abovementioned display means.
The structure/status management information includes at least the interface slot structure, the structure and operating status of the internal substrate connected to the interface slot, the power supply status, and alarm occurrence status for the abovementioned switching device.
The means of processing management to be done holds as the abovementioned management information fault management information relating to faults in the concerned device and structure/status management information relating to the structure of the concerned device and status of the structure, and when a fault occurs or is repaired for the concerned device, self notifies the abovementioned fault management information relating to the occurrence or repair of a fault to the abovementioned management device while also transmitting the abovementioned structure/status management information to the abovementioned management device according to a fetch request from the abovementioned management device.
The invention characterized by the management processing means fetching the abovementioned fault management information with self notification from the abovementioned switching device, while also correlating and managing the abovementioned fetched fault management information with a device icon corresponding to all switching devices subject to management, and
the abovementioned display processing means, based on the abovementioned management means management results, displaying the device icons that correspond to all switching devices in a form for which the connection structure of the concerned switching devices within the abovementioned network is identifiable, and performing display processing on the display screen so that each of the abovementioned device icons is shown in a color that reflects fault occurrence, fault repair, or normal status for the switching device corresponding to that icon.
The management device comprises a first selection means that selects by a first operation the abovementioned device icon displayed on the abovementioned display screen, and
the abovementioned display processing means, when the device icon is selected by the abovementioned first operation, detecting fault management information corresponding to the selected device icon, and displaying the contents of that fault management information as character information.
The management device comprises a second selection means that selects by a second operation the abovementioned device icon displayed on the abovementioned display screen,
the abovementioned management processing means, when the device icon is selected by the abovementioned second operation, detecting fault management information corresponding to the selected device icon, obtaining the abovementioned structure/status management information from the abovementioned means for processing management to be done by issuing the abovementioned fetch request to the applicable switching device, and
the abovementioned display processing means, based on the fetched abovementioned structure/status management information, drawing to the abovementioned display means an image of the actual device that is the same as the actual structure and status of the applicable switching device for the structure and status of the switching device of the source of fetching.
The management device comprises a third selection means that selects the applicable structural element on the display screen of the abovementioned actual device image, and
the abovementioned display processing means, when the abovementioned structural element is selected by the abovementioned third selection means, detecting information corresponding to the abovementioned structural element of the abovementioned structure/status information, and based on this information displaying a detailed structural image of the concerned structural element.
The management device comprises an operation instruction input means that inputs specified operating instructions on the display screen of the abovementioned detailed structural image, and
the abovementioned management processing means, according to the operating instructions input by the abovementioned operation instruction input means, sending control signals for controlling the abovementioned structural element to the means for processing management to be done of the applicable switching device.
The means of processing management to be done, by receiving the abovementioned control signals, executes a specified control according to the abovementioned operating instructions on the abovementioned structural element.
The specified control may be a control to start or stop operation of the abovementioned structural element.
For a network management device, a switching device which is a device to be managed is made into an icon and displayed on a display screen, while at the same time based on self notification from the switching device, the system is made to reflect a color corresponding to occurrence or repair of a fault on the concerned switching device in the icon of the switching device that is the source of the self notification, so the administrator can of course recognize the occurrence of faults on the device to be switched, but also recognize repair of faults when appropriate from the contents of the display on the abovementioned display screen, making it possible to manage the network efficiently.
Also, with this invention, for the network management device, information relating to the structure of or status for which the structure is prerequisite of the switching device that is the device to be managed is fetched from the switching device, and based on this fetched information, the system is set to display on a display screen an image of the actual device as is of the structure and status of the switching device that is the source of fetching, so the administrator, from the contents displayed on the abovementioned display screen, can precisely recognize with the same accuracy as when the structure and status of the switching device becomes an actual device, and can prevent confusion about maintenance management tasks.
Furthermore, with this invention, for a network management device, switching device structure information and status information is fetched regularly from the switching device, and the system is set to reflect changes on the abovementioned display screen when there are changes from previously fetched contents, so the administrator, by viewing these display contents, can immediately understand changes in structure and status of the switching device.